Portland Creative Current

Freelance writing, across the board. Where do your needs lie?

Elisabeth McCumber has spent her life with pen in hand. No exaggeration - as a child, some of her first written words were, “Written and illustrated by.” Later, through the rigors of academia, she honed her natural talent into skill, then went on to test her craft, writing professionally for Polarity, Inc., a software licensing company in Dallas, TX. Finally, she launched into the realm of freelance writing through her Portland business, Invisible Ink. Perhaps the best aspect of freelancing is the opportunity to work across a spectrum of projects. Web content, press releases, tag lines… advertorials, brochures, technical manuals… articles, speeches, books… and the list goes on. Some pieces need to be hip and funky; others, dry and technical. Some require a persuasive appeal, a sparkling tone, or simply an informative thrust. What doesn’t change from piece to piece is Elisabeth’s impeccable standard of quality, professionalism, and easy-to-work-with attitude. Her approach is simple. First question: “Who’s the audience?” Next question: “What’s the objective?” At Invisible Ink, Elisabeth adapts to the unique goals and parameters of each project, flexing style, length, tone and content to do the job at hand. No formulas - just excellent work, on time. The result? Writing that not only makes sense to the audience, but truly resonates with them.

What are you up to?

I’m branching into full service web design, working with a team of professionals to offer a one-stop shop for writing, graphic design, and web building.

What do you do best?

I’m quick to hone in on what my clients need from a piece, what effect they’re going for, and why; and from there, to incorporate those goals into the text. Written words affect people on a couple levels: for one, there’s the surface, which carries the first impression and the basic message. Then there’s a level underneath that, where words can stir a reader’s feelings and senses, affecting them a little more intuitively. For all but the most technical pieces (where clarity is first and last), these two levels need to work in concert in order for a piece to be truly effective. By catching onto the underlying motivations in a project, I’m in an excellent position to weave together the elements that make for powerful writing, on every level. Whether the goal is to persuade the audience to action, or to communicate information that won’t fade in their memory, that’s an invaluable skill.

What does professionalism mean to you?

Professionalism means a certain set of attitudes, habits, and standards that don’t waver, regardless of how one is feeling on a given day. It means being on time. It means following through on one’s word. It means meeting deadlines - and doing so with a product that I’m absolutely proud to hand over. Lest it go without saying, “professional” means impeccably formatted pieces - and no typos. “Professional” isn’t necessarily “easy.” Everyone has bad days, and everyone must work with someone from time to time who gets their goat. Being professional means having the inner strength to do the good thing anyway, to choose not to give in to those pettier instincts of ours. It means being respectful, easy to work with, and honest. High standards. Prompt response. Positive, open attitude. Professionalism means a lot of things - and most importantly, it means them 100% of the time.

Where do your interests lie, in terms of professional writing?

In addition to my own projects - including the novel and novella I’m submitting to publishers this year - I especially enjoy teaming with organizations that do their work in a sustainable way, and which, in so doing, help to make this world of ours a better place. No overt “green mission” required - just people doing valuable things in a healthy way. I love helping such people succeed.

When someone is interested in your services, what’s the next step?

Give me a call, and we’ll get together for a free consultation. No strings attached - just a friendly brainstorming session about what direction you’d like to go, and how my services could help you get there. If you feel it’s a fit, we can talk about your budget, and I’ll get back to you with a quote tailored to your project. At that point you can decide if you’d like to go forward, and we’ll proceed from there.

Connect:

Email | Website | LinkedIn | Ph.503.317.8047

- Elisabeth McCumber  (Owner, Writer, Project Manager)